Categorical vs Continuous: Which statement describes categorical data?

• A. Categorical data are measured on a numeric scale.
• B. Categorical data are named categories with no numeric meaning.
• C. Categorical data are ranked in order with equal intervals.
• D. Categorical data are continuous.

Answer: (B)

Categorical data are defined by categories or labels rather than numeric measurements. They classify observations into named groups such as blood type, eye color, or gender, and the labels themselves don’t carry a mathematical value. This lack of inherent numeric meaning is what sets categorical data apart from numeric data that are measured on a scale. Some categorical data can be ordinal, meaning there is a natural order (like ratings), but the essential point remains: they represent categories, not quantities with arithmetic meaning. In contrast, options describing numeric scales, equal-interval rankings, or continuous measurements refer to data that are quantitative, not categorical.